
One hundred years ago, Harold Darke (1888-1976) began his fifty-year stint as Director of Music at St. Michael’s Cornhill, in the City of London. The church is celebrating this event all through October. James McVinnie will open with an all-Bach recital in tribute to Darke on Monday 3rd October at 1pm.
On Saturday 15th October afternoon an RCO workshop, directed by Richard Brasier, will study the English Romantic style via the music contained in A Little Organ Book for Hubert Parry (1918), composed as a memorial to the Director of the Royal College of Music where Darke attended as a student and as a professor (and which includes a piece by Darke).
More details and booking for this class.
The third Cornhill Colloquium, The Language of Music, takes place from 10am – 4.30pm on Friday 28th October. It will discuss the relationship between music and words, with speakers including Radio 3 and Gramophone Awards judge, Caroline Gill; composer and pianist, London College of Music, Professor Francis Pott; The Revd Alice Goodman from Cambridge; Professor Francis O’Gorman from the University of Edinburgh and Dr Simon Jackson from the University of Warwick. The day will also feature a program of organ music by Harold Darke to be played by the current Director of Music at St Michael’s, Jonathan Rennert.
Download a programme for the Colloquium: colloquium-2016-final
At the end of the month, the Darke plaque will be dedicated during Eucharist on Sunday 30th October 11am. Finally, the Annual Harold Darke Memorial Recital will be given by Jack Stone, this year’s Harold Darke prize-winner at the Royal College of Music. It takes place on Monday 31st October at 1pm, and the programme includes music by Bach and, and of course, Darke.
Not all the month’s events are listed here – you can find a full account of this Octoberfest on St Michael’s Cornhill Facebook page.
featured image: Steve Cadman